A semi-truck driver who was involved in a recent fatal accident in New Mexico has been cited for careless driving in connection with the incident. According to reports, the truck driver involved in the accident was pulled to the side of the road on a major national highway and was facing north. In order to continue traveling north, it would have to cross the lane of oncoming traffic.
The trucker yielded to another large truck that was passing from the opposite direction but apparently did not see smaller pickup that was behind the approach large truck. The driver therefore crashed in to the pickup in a head-on collision. The driver of the pickup died at the scene of the accident, and the passenger of the pickup was injured, although the extent of the injuries was not known.
While there was no indication that the trucker who caused this tragic accident was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he still seems to have made a critical error in judgment. It is an understandable, and perhaps even the safest course of action, when a truck driver pulls over to the side of the road. For example, the driver may be too tired to go on, or he may need to answer an important phone call or text.
However, the driver must exercise the utmost care and vigilance when returning in to the flow of traffic. This is true especially since a large truck takes additional time, and space, to re-enter the roadway. On a highway, this can be very important since other vehicles are moving at high speeds and may not expect a slow-moving truck to be in their lane.
When truckers do not take these extra precautionary steps, serious car accidents like the one described here are often the end result. Truck drivers who cause such accidents may be held financially and legally accountable through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.